But 10 restaurants in the region are hoping to change all that with the “Comfort Food Cruise”
planned for the weekends of Jan. 25-26 and Feb. 1-2.

Participants will drive themselves to each cruise destination. A $15 ticket garners visitors a
special dish at each of the 10 participating restaurants. Area food banks will receive $5 from each
ticket.

Each restaurant has chosen one of its specialties to offer for the food tour. The dishes were
chosen by Twitter and Facebook friends of each establishment, so they’re sure to be
crowd-pleasers.

All together, the food is more than a meal; it’s a veritable feast that samples the best of
southern Ohio cuisine. Participants can take the entire cruise in one day, one weekend or over all
four days if they wish.

The list of participating restaurants is eclectic, but each eatery is well-known among locals
and travelers to the Hocking Hills. But even the most frequent visitor is unlikely to have tried
them all.

The stops on the food tour: the Ridge Inn Restaurant in Laurelville; the Inn & Spa at Cedar
Falls, Hocking Hills Dining Lodge, Millstone BBQ, M&M Family Diner, Pearl’s Diner, the Olde
Dutch Restaurant and Ralph’s Ice Cream, all in or near Logan; and the Boot Grill and Rhapsody Music
& Dining in Nelsonville.

While in the region, visitors should also check out its beautiful natural features.

Many hikes of various difficulty levels are available in Hocking Hills State Park and its
vicinity. I love hiking the trails near Old Man’s Cave when the sun sparkles off the snow-covered
evergreens and the cliffs are coated with gleaming ice. (Sometimes the paths can be icy, too, so be
careful.)

Reservations for the cruise are not needed, but tickets are required to sample the fare. Tickets
are available at the Hocking Hills Regional Welcome Center on U.S. 33 or through the Hocking Hills
Tourism Association.

For more information or to order tickets, call 740-385-2750; call the tourism association at
1-800-462-5464; or visit
www.explorehockinghills.com. The
association can also help with finding a place to stay.

Steve Stephens is the travel writer. He can be reached at 614-461-5201 or by email.